


The future of all of humanity

by AsheTarasovich (natalieashe), Boffin1710, natalieashe



Series: Secret Garden [6]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Humor, Bookstores, Coffee, Commitment, Domestic Fluff, Gardens & Gardening, Home, M/M, No James in the Story, Relationship(s), Tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-10
Updated: 2015-04-10
Packaged: 2018-03-22 06:05:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3717916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natalieashe/pseuds/AsheTarasovich, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boffin1710/pseuds/Boffin1710, https://archiveofourown.org/users/natalieashe/pseuds/natalieashe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“What I say is, a town isn't a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but unless it's got a bookstore it knows it's not fooling a soul.”   ― Neil Gaiman, American Gods</p>
            </blockquote>





	The future of all of humanity

“I had the most wonderful experience today in a bookshop. Well, I say wonderful. Actually it was slightly hilarious and bloody frustrating at times. And it could drive me to utter despair for the future of all of humanity.  Thank god our life style doesn't offer much chance of seeing long into the future.” Q babbled at Alec from the flat’s kitchen as he was retrieving a cuppa to join him in the garden.

“You went to a bookstore on your way home?” Alec called out him.  “Alone?  We've talked about this Q!”

“It was just Clapham Books, Alec. And yes I do read something other than programming books at time.   I was fine.  No one is going to bloody steal me from a bookstore, Alec.”   Q wanders out into the garden finally handing Alec a cup of coffee his has brought along for him too.

Alec thought for a moment about what he was telling him.  “That means you road the fucking tube home again you little shite!  Fucking hell, Q!   We have talked about this!” he huffed at him again.

Q utterly ignored what Alec was saying to him and went along with his story.  “So I was standing there, staring at the sci-fi shelves, quietly drinking in the titles and debating making a purchase when a girl not three feet away says, to her boyfriend, ‘What's fiction?’ Cup in one hand and waving his other around in a dramatic gesture, Alec is convinced that they are both going to be wearing his cup of tea before Q has even taken a sip.

”I blink at a copy of Robin Hobb's "Assassin's Apprentice", whose back cover I am making doe-eyes at as I hear her boyfriend say to her, ‘Made up stories,’ Um. Excuse me? What?”  Flopping down in a chair next to Alec, Q is still gesturing wildly about and Alec can’t keep from laughing at him.

“So I can't help myself. I turn and look at the girl. She's probably a little younger than me, a thin stick of a thing with long straight blonde hair, neatly made up with neutrally fashionable clothes. She's exactly the sort of girl that girls look at and want to kill for being so conventionally pretty. She's apparently also as thick as those two short planks.” he points to the steps leading down from the upper balcony. ”Why the hell would the word 'fiction' throw you?”   Looking to Alec like he expects for him to have the answer to this issue that seems to be so perplexing to him before he keeps babbling on.

“Oh well” Q sighs.  ”Entertainment was over I thought, so I pull out another book to eye its blurb, but the girl and her boyfriend are, however, still browsing.”

"What about that one?" I hear the boyfriend advises her. They’re standing just behind and to the side of me so I can just about barely catch sight of them in my peripheral vision. ‘That's a good one.’ I hear him say to her.

“The girl picks up the book and immediately puts it down like it has just bitten her or something. Then I hear her say, and I can’t fucking believe what I am hearing   “Oh, it's too fat and heavy. I can't read that. I hate fat books. I want thin ones.” Q mocking quotes the girl in a high pitched posh voice which makes Alec choke on his coffee as he chuckles.

“Part of me wants to turn around, and shake her. I want to yell, "LOOK! You are in the bloody midst of an amazing multiverse! Each one of these bloody collections of paper and ink is a universe waiting to be explored! You do not dismiss these amazing works for being fat!"

“But for once, I refrained. I know that is hard for you to believe.” Q settles back in his chair smirking at Alec blowing on his tea before taking a long sip.  “For one, I like that bookshop and get on with the staff extremely well. And there's a Robin Hobb signing on Friday I don't want to be banned from.”

 

 


End file.
